


Life and How to Live It

by disembodied-doll (noblescientist)



Category: Saiyuki Gaiden
Genre: Gen, canon character death, warning for excessive use of semicolons and em-dashes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 04:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14276469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noblescientist/pseuds/disembodied-doll
Summary: After the rebellion, someone has to decide what to do with the victims’ effects. The Merciful Goddess got the job.





	Life and How to Live It

The rebellion against the Emperor had taken its final victim. After suffering weeks of coughing up blood, paralysis, and a worsening overall condition, the Dragon King of the Western Seas was dead from his injuries. Unlike for his subordinates, Kenren and Tenpou, and their “Ants”, or even Konzen Douji, there was public mourning. None mourned the others publicly but Konzen Douji’s aunt, Kanzeon Bosatsu. The Merciful Goddess, of course, had dominion to mourn; hir mercy touched them all. As such, it was se who walked through Goujun’s office, to determine what best to do with his effects. His kingdom and family had control of his home, but his office required a high-ranking neutral party, and so se set forth to determine what needed to stay and what could be released.

Se replaced the chair behind his desk— moved to accommodate a wheelchair— and surveyed the office. From here se could see that most of Goujun’s personal effects lay on bookshelves around the walls— out of reach, but easy to see. A smile graced hir lips; perhaps the General had been softer than he appeared. His memoir lay to the left, where it had been set when he finished, likely for the ink to dry, and then abandoned as his health continued to deteriorate. That would be left for last; se was determined to grant his intention for it to be read at any legal proceedings that were held, but felt that it should be more widely known. Perhaps it would best serve that end in a library? Most of his books— as well as Tenpou’s— would be transferred to a library, so se supposed adding one more document would be simple enough.

Most of the drawers of the desk contained files which needed to be released to the military, or writing implements of varying quality— all were fine, but some were clearly his favourites— but there was one drawer which was locked. Kanzeon Bosatsu found that strange. In a locked office, a locked drawer was redundant. Besides, none of the official files were under this additional security; why this one small drawer? Se checked the others again for false bottoms or a mechanism, but found nothing. Se sat back in the chair, looking around the room, hoping this wouldn’t be a long and fruitless search for something as small as a key. He could have worn the blasted thing, or kept it at home until he needed it. It would be foolish to leave the key in the same room as the lock, but then again, locks could be broken by a determined party. Se scrutinised the lock and decided the desk was too valuable to be damaged by someone with limited lockpicking expertise.

Surveying the room again, hir eyes fell on an unlabelled book in a shelf full of military history. Knowing Goujun, that would have irked him to no end. Unless, se reasoned, it was intentional, or it was put there by an interloper without his knowledge. (He would have gotten along well with hir nephew under more pleasant circumstances.) Se crossed the room to investigate and removed the book. It was fine leather, completely smooth and blank covers: a journal. Se opened it, expecting to find his own notes on some important battles— and was not disappointed by the first pages se flipped through— but the back half was oddly stiff, so se opened the journal to where the stiffened pages began and found a hollow containing a tiny box. Se grinned and removed the box, which contained a small key of a similar finish as the lock on the desk. Se replaced the journal, returned to the desk, and sat to unlock the drawer.

It opened as expected, and inside was another journal, sitting alone in the bottom of the drawer. Se was almost disappointed, but this one was in a locked drawer, so its contents were likely more interesting. The journal itself was plain, simple paper construction. It was the closest thing to “cheap” in the entire office, which intrigued hir even more; what could possibly be inside?

Se sat back in the chair, leaning one shoulder on the back so as to get better light from the window. The cherry blossoms outside were just starting to bloom, so there was plenty of sunlight coming in through the branches. In the journal were pages upon pages about Goujun’s associates, from fellow generals to enlisted men, nobles and servants. It seemed to have everything— from their birthdays and important information to random scuttlebutt. Se noted in amusement that Tenpou and Kenren in particular had entire sections to themselves, with notes on their performance as well as their personalities interspersed with what seemed to be Goujun’s opinions (some of which were surprisingly sympathetic as compared to his public demeanour).

Se was startled from hir reading by a large shadow from outside the window. Se turned to find a large bird settling on the tree’s branches. Se hadn’t seen its kind in Heaven before, but se supposed se paid an undue amount of attention to pheasants and peacocks. Se almost went back to reading, but realised se had to finish hir original duty first, and so tucked the journal into hir belt and continued hir survey of the office. After all, se could read it later, and se was certain its contents would be better off being judged before being disseminated— if in fact they were worth releasing. Se had a feeling its new home would be in hir own office or apartments. Se was sure se could find appropriate uses for the information, and set about canvassing the rest of the office.

**Author's Note:**

> Jae keeps saying things and I keep thinking of things and then fics happen. Blame Jae (and in this case Nikki).
> 
> Special guest appearance of a certain bird ;)


End file.
